The P&J reported CML turnover dropped by £2million in the year up to 1st April 2012.


Full report [www.pressandjournal.co.uk]

But hopefully they started this years accounting period a bit better.

Yes, the financial year is certainly not going to tell the whole picture - if you wanted a 12 month snapshot in recent times to show up CML's financial performance in the worst possible light you probably have it in the year ending March 2012. Given the 10/11 season was an early peak and came to a quite abrupt end in April, whereas the current financial year has started with 22,000 skier days in the bank. A decent season this year should give very robust figures to end March 2013 - fingers crossed.

There's a very simple message associated with the last few years accounts:

Lots of wintersports punters = big profit; reduced wintersports punters = break-even to big loss.

The blindingly obvious solution (as already discovered by other wintersports centres around the world) is to choose to invest in things that increase the number of wintersports punters who turn-up when mother nature is less than kind. Not in marginal non-core attractions for non-wintersports visitors.

Outwith wintersports, CML's main attraction is the train, and there is no way that revenue associated with that and the other ancilliaries is sufficient to pay for it. Without a thriving wintersports base, CML is a dead duck !

I don't disagree that opportunity for larger profits come from winter sports but as you can see from last winter it is a bit of all the eggs in one basket. Personnaly I would like CML to explore additional revenue opportunities outwith winter sports at a faster pace than they have been able to.

Have to ask whether more has been spent on resurfacing the Traverse and 105 (then starting again after a thunderstorm left it in a worse state than before because the cross drains were filled in) than will be taken in by the MTB guiding? CMLs summer extras may be popular to a point, they are worth having from a visitor experience point of view, but the only way CML as is can be viable is by making a commercial success of snowsports.

The strategic review pointed out the potential risk that marginal niche diversifications could actually do more harm than good to commercial viability. The stark reality is there is a real lack of possible mass market on mountain diversification that can come close to snowsports income.

CairnGorm though is in a unique position of the potential to develop downslope of the existing area and if you want a chance at building a company with year round stability, it needs a mass market diversification that widens the revenue base and increases repeat customers significantly. The Glenmore Gondola looks like the only diversification that can tick those boxes, while ensuring all those who benefit from of ease of access from the Daylodge contribute to the costs of providing it.

I went to a briefing, given by the Chairman of the Cairngorm Chairlift Company, in the mid nineties in the run up to the train.
Because of the decline in skiing he said that the income from the hill would be changed. Instead of 80% in the winter and 20% in the summer it would be reversed to 80% in the summer and 20% in the winter.
Obviously this has not worked if a bad snow season has such a dramatic effect on income.
Until the crazy restrictions are removed the train will not succeed and the company will never be sold to a private company.
The unprotected areas of Coire Cas and Coire na Ciste should be a gold mine for the people of this area.

Of course in a good season the Scottish areas can make a good profit from skiing.
However not every Scottish season will be a good one (as we all know!).

The real challenge for all the ski areas is to develop the summer side of the things so they are well placed to take advantage when the snow arrives. Not many businesses can survive on just 4 months a year trade - especially when the winter season is so blatantly dependent on weather - and can be a real 'hit' or 'miss'. Money invested in summer activity is the sensible option, and provides stability for the skiing operations, as welll as keeping full time staff on all year round.

If the conditions are good scottish skiers will turn up in numbers. However you cant put all of your eggs in one basket and depend on that.

[www.haggistrap.co.uk]



Edited 1 times. Last edit at 19.45hrs Sun 5 Aug 12 by Doug_Bryce.

The big question is where to invest to provide the summer business - MTB is the obvious one, and can benefit winter activities, here I am thinking about CML developing the Cist side, if they get they planning permisssion and funding it will progressivley improve winter sports as well, initally better infrastructure such as improved facilities on the Cist side, then eventually (fingers crossed) the chairs link up to the top. I am not sure if CML is unique in that direct investment into summer activites benefits the winter users in such away.

In resposne to Alans point aboutr the MTB route having to be repaired - I am sure there are better long term solutions that are being looked at, I guess it depnds on how well the whole idea takes off

I would have thought it would have been better to leave the cross drains in place if they are needed and brdge them - you could add features of various degrees of dificulty to get across the drains and then get rid of the leader and inabilty to use your own bike and just pay for the uplift.

Near enough agree with you, however they address the cross drains will tke some maintenance, the mountain and nature has a knack of causing hvoc qith any man made feature.

Until they get rid of the closed system Lead MTB is the only way off the train. Even if there was open access there could still be a demand for Lead MTB - just thinking out loud - get the Ciste going for open access and keep the train as closed access with lead walks and MTB.